‘I don’t know how licence works here’
HUNGARIAN DROVE WITH CHILDREN IN FRONT AND WITHOUT INSURANCE
A HUNGARIAN factory worker caught driving without a proper driving licence and with two children in the front of his car tried to dodge a road ban by claiming UK traffic laws were ‘not the same’ as in is native country.
Jozef Lakatos, 27, was pulled over after a police patrol spotted the youngsters sitting in the front passenger seat of his Audi A3 last June near his home in Bolton.
Inquiries revealed Lakatos had no full driving licence or insurance to drive the car - and he also had previous convictions for similar matters and already had six points on his provisional licence.
But the father of two urged magistrates in Manchester not to ban him claiming he was ‘unsure’ of how the driving licence system worked in Britain and insisted he ‘did not hit anything or anyone.’
Arguing he would suffer ‘exceptional hardship’ if he was banned from the roads, Lakatos admitted he would not lose his job if he was disqualified.
But he told the hearing: “It would be hard for me to carry on as normal if I didn’t have the car or my licence.
“I am unsure of how the licence works because it is not the same as in my country. I don’t know exactly how it works.
“There was no accident when I was driving, I didn’t hit anything or anyone. I was just stopped. I have my children and my family I have to look after. I work in a factory and I earn £8.60 an hour. My income depends on my hours.’’
He added: “I am guilty, I know what has happened in this case. My work is 10 miles from me and I was using the car that evening with my children in it. I usually use a pedal bike to get to work.”
Lakatos admitted driving without a licence or insurance and driving in a manner likely to cause danger by having young children in the front passenger seat.
The court heard he previously got six points on his licence in February 2016 for driving without a licence or insurance.
Rejecting his plea to carry on driving, JP Sheila Lever told Lakatos: “I hope you understand now how serious these matters are. It is also of concern to us that you were driving in this way with two young children in the vehicle. I hope the ramifications that you could cause to somebody are clear to you now.’’
Lakatos was fined £750 and banned from the roads for nine months. He will have to re-apply for a provisional licence.
According to an EU website, drivers in Hungary have to pass a theory and practical test and basic first aid test - with the minimum age for driving a car being 18.